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Plagi
Minutes.
Hoang hang
Sir A. Cadogan.
F6064/1147/
The Colonial Office have now concurred in the draft telegram about Hong Kong in the wording now submitted.
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Since then we have received a batch of further telegrams showing that the Chinese are requiring that the surrender be postponed until after Chiang Kai-shekhas arranged the general surrender in the China theatre with the Japanese C.in C. there. The Chinese are also requiring us to give undertakings before the surrender takes place in Hong Kong that we will hand over to them Japanese ships and mechanical transport captured in Hong Kong.
So far as we are aware, General Order No. 1 has not yet been amended to include any reference to Hong Kong. All we know is that according to a message from General Gairdner to General Ismay, General MacArthur in instructions sent to Admiral Fraser on August 24th said "This Office will direct Japanese to surrender their forces in Hong Kong to Rear Admiral Harcourt."
We do not want to have to recede further from the position we have taken up on account of some American action or failure to take action. It seems important, therefore, to clear up beyond doubt that the Japanese have received a straight order from General MacArthur to surrender to Admiral Harcourt.
I have discussed this with the Colonial Office and our recommendation is still to send off the attached telegram. But we feel that the Admiralty should be urged when giving instructions to Admiral Harcourt on the lines of the draft, to repeat those instruc- tions to Admiral Fraser and to instruct Admiral Fraser to ask General MacArthur forthwith to confirm that the instructions envisaged in his message of August 24th have in fact been issued to the Japanese; and if they have not, to press for this immediate order to be given to the Japanese, seeing that Admiral Harcourt is now on the ground. Admiral Fraser should asketo be informed of the exact terms of the instructions.
As the matter is urgent, would it be possible to settle it at this morning's Defence Committee, in which case the Secretary of State for the Colonies should be invited to-attend?
ab.
Any 36.645.
J.C. Stradal Bennett
31st August 1945.
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